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Link to previous "Latest Update"
pages.
Intended as a reminder of what the web page has
been showing over a period longer than a month. This means that links to
ephemeral items might be broken.
30th June
Forecast for tomorrow is looking good, so
don't forget the third of this Summers series of Ferry Comps - See full list of
events by clicking todays date in the calendar you see when choosing
Meetings/Events on the left.
Click for
the results up to now.
 29th June
Bryan spotted the following in Hip Pocket
Aeronautics from a post by Pete Fardell. "A bit late now I know, but if
anyone's still interested the write up in the latest RC Model Flyer by Bruce
Corfe has this link to this cache of photos from the event".
This excellent
batch of photographs, showing both models and the people involved, has a really
good one of Joe on page 4. - Click Joe to see the whole group.
 27th June
Christian at Soo
Modellers in Canada has a regular section "News from Across the Pond", which I
have not mentioned before. - Well worth a browse. Click on the 600% scale
Fozzle for the link.
 25th June
Thanks to John the
latest edition of the club magazine is now available as a .pdf download. Click
"Making the Best" for your copy.
24th June
Turned out there was some confusion as to
the actual name of the event in Oxford (See 23rd June). Peter Tolhurst sent:-
""Nice photos, just what I'd expect from the estimable Mr Page . However,
perhaps you'd like to get the PMFC website caption updated as this was the
Oxford Rally (run by Andy Crisp for over 30 years). Dreaming Spires is on 6th
July thanks to Charlie Newman & Laurence, and includes the always enjoyable
(for spectators at least) scale comp."
23rd June
Mick Page, Peter Gibbons, Martin Mchugh and
Paul McMahon went to the Dreaming Spires Gala in Oxford. The new batch of front
page photographs were taken by Mick at the event.
 14th June
No updates until
after 22nd June
I have not mentioned "Sticks and Tissue for some time but if you
click the graphic you will get 72 excellent .pdf pages from the May
edition.
 12th June
Three full size
aircraft items today.
Thanks to Bryan for information about the Canadian
Lancaster which will be in the UK this Summer.
Click for details
The airshow season is now underway, click the Vulcan to see it
display at Cosford last Sunday.
Also at Cosford were
a Canberra
and Hunter formation.
10th June
Click to see this article from Ian.
A modified FET timer that
dispenses with the need for a 9v PP3 battery to start the motor.
8th June
Thanks to Mick for the new set of front page
photographs, these from the BMFA Free Flight Nationals.
 6th June
The post Nationals
club magazine from John is nearly ready.
Paid up club members keep an eye
out for the postman, it won't be long now.
Meanwhile the previous edition
is available as a .pdf file for all to read - click "Undercover Operations".
4th June
Sensible wind speed, with summer cumulus made
for a good session yesterday at Ferry Meadows. Ten people flew in four
different events. Thanks to Pete for organising and Ian for sending the
results.
3rd June - - -
League after 2 events - - -
6th May
3rd June
Second Round of the Ferry Meadows Summer
Series of competitions today.
Forecast is reasonable. - See full list of
events by clicking todays date in the calendar you see when choosing
Meetings/Events on the left.
30th May
No updates until after Tuesday 3rd
June
29th May
Christian at Soo Modellers in Canada has a
modelling 'cartoon of the week'.
Click to see those he has collected so far. (Scroll down the
page for older ones.)
27th May
Thanks to Mick for the latest set of front
page photographs, taken at the first of the Ferry Meadows comps this
year.
 25th May
No flying at Barkston until Saturday
afternoon....
Click the picture for a larger version.
 23rd May
Continuing with the scale theme; both
Bryan and Jon have spotted that there is now a report of the 2014 Indoor Scale
Nationals on Mike Stuarts excellent web site - click the Eastbourne Monoplane
for the text, photographs and videos.
BMFA Outdoor Nationals at Barkston this coming three days. Mixed
forecasts at present, with Sunday looking likely to be best at present, which
is no consolation for those whose events are on Saturday and
Monday.....
22nd May
Swift answer to yesterdays query, Bryan said
"I have done a bit of searching and I'm sure that the model is an Eastbourne
Monoplane from the Aerographics kit. Ray Malmstrom also did this aircraft for
Aeromodeller but it was a bit smaller."
Click for the link to the Malmstrom plan held at outerzone.co.uk
SAMs are listing Aerographics kits for both models
at this web page.
Click for a photograph of
the Eastbourne Monoplane
kit that Bryan sent.
 21st May
Bryan Lea queried the caption on
the front page photograph, which I have as Blackburn 1912 monoplane. When I
contacted Graham Gostick, who was flying the model, he replied "Sorry. I dont
know what it is. I bought as a wreck at a club auction. Perhaps you should run
it as a competition 'name the plane'.
No prizes but it would be good to have the name. Click on the
picture to get the full, front page size of the photograph.
19th May
I mentioned Mike Stuarts flying scale web
pages a month ago. Click for his link page and scroll down for some unusual and
interesting web sites. Also give the
Model
Airplanes of John Ernst a try for excellent photographs of scale models,
both under construction and finished.
 17th May
Just
heard that the entire Pathe News archive is now on line. I have mentioned some
of their model aircraft items previously - even more to browse now.
Click the picture for the list on Youtube
 15th May
Denis Oglesby sent
me this
link to the Engineer - 'Urban soaring' UAV to take flight, we
need one of these to make sense of the lift at Ferry Meadows.
If model glider flying moves this way we won't need
the book that Denis wrote.
13th May
The PMFC Dropbox account has had a couple of
new entries this year, from Bernie and Andy.
Click for the whole
list.
Dropbox is a very useful storage facility, with the ability to
exchange large files quickly and easily. There is a PMFC account intended for
PMFC members. It will work on Windows, Macs and Linux computers. If you already
have a Dropbox account of your own e-mail me for how to access the PMFC
account.
If you are new to Dropbox have a look at
www.dropbox.com to see if you
wish to get involved. If not and you would like any of the files listed let me
know and I can send them to you via e-mail.
11th May
Apologies, rather late with this but the
Control Line competitions are now on the calendar (Click Meetings/Events on the
left), together with information about the events, shown further down the
page.
9th May
Thanks to Mick for the latest set of front
page photographs - Ferry Meadows, March and April 2014.
 7th May
A sunny but rather blustery start to the
Ferry Meadows competitions. Good to see 18 sets of times flown from 10
different PMFC members. Thanks to Bert for organizing and Ian for the results
and photographs. Click Mick for the results and larger photos.
6th May
Click for the link Ian found:-
A really comprehensive article on selecting connectors for RC and
FF electric power systems.
 4th May
A touch late to point out that the weather for
the first aeromodelling meeting at Old Warden this year is good. Lets hope it
continues through to Tuesday, when the first of the seasons competitions
organised by Pete Gibbons at Ferry Meadows takes place. Use the Meetings/Events
calendar link on the left and click the event for full details.
Whilst away I made some changes to the Weather link.
Click to give it a try.
27th April
No updates until after 4th May.
There are thousands of full size aircraft videos on the web,
most of them poor quality but you can rely on Planes TV trailers to give a
short but worthwhile look at their DVD productions.
Click for
British Airshows 2012 - -
Flying Legends Show, 2013
Looks like
the Vulcan will fly again this year.
Beagle Technology Group from
Christchurch in Dorset, released a short video showing how the complex 3D
shapes were manufactured over the purpose-built moulding formers developed from
the scanned images of XH558's wings.
Click to see
the shapes produced, which were needed to strengthen the Vulcan
wing.
25th April
Jon has spotted some general photographs
and a video of Joe from the 2014 Indoor Scale Nationals.
Click for photos (on Facebook) - - - - -
Click for video (on Youtube)
 23rd April
Whilst at the last
Impington meeting my Depron model "landed" on John Pictons table where he had
several Depron models. His were noticable because they all had good curved wing
sections, I asked about these and whilst there are several methods of getting a
curve in a Depron wing I thought John's was particularly neat.
Click for drawings, photos
and a description.
Paid up members of PMFC should have received their copy of
'Undercover Operations' the April edition of the club magazine, another
excellent edition from John
 21st April
Gibbs Guides and
the newsletter have had a mention before.
Andrew Gibbs piece on rechargeable single cells is worth a
look.
 19th April
Two links I have only just come
across:-
Julian Downham at
http://micromodeldrome.com/
and
Mike's flying scale model
pages, a web site of real quality and depth, have a look at the
report of the
Indoor Scale Nationals from last weekend. - Apologies and thanks to Jon for
spotting my mistake. The report is for the 2013 Nationals.....
17th April
From
www.freeflightuk.org/news.html North Luffenham is available
tomorrow for the Northern Gala. However Bernie commented that although from
2014 there is flying at Ferry Meadows all year round on Tuesday and Friday
afternoons it is usual for members to make an effort and be there on Good
Friday, which previously had marked the start of the outdoor flying season.
 Scale Indoor Nationals last weekend,
thanks
to Jon for this link to the results.
How many PMFC members can you
spot?
Ian has been busy again, this time with a Topsky discus launch
glider. Click the picture for details.
15th April
Thanks to Mick, who has captured the 'feel'
and quality of models displayed at the recent club scale night. 10 photographs
to display on the web site opening page during the next two weeks.
13th April
Northern Gala, Good Friday, 18th
April.
From the Free Flight Technical Committee Home Page:-
"Barkston
Heath Airfield is unavailable for Northern Gala 2014. Attempts are being made
to book North Luffenham Airfield as an alternative."
 11th April
Click Berts picture to see
the progress report that Ian has produced on the E20.
Don't forget that this coming Sunday is the Indoor Scale
Nationals at Nottingham University. For full details use the 'Meetings and
Events' calendar. - I would welcome photographs for the club web site should
anyone take some.
Click for what Jon described as glum news about
Barkston.
 9th April
Click for a very well presented on screen FAI Aunnual Report,
includes some excellent photographs.
Click to download your own copy of the report in .pdf
form.
 7th April
Thanks to Mick Taylor for the Taster Stunt Rules he has
prepared.
Click the thumb nail for an easy to print .pdf version.
The stunt diagrams were scanned from a poor original, if anyone
has access to a better version could they let me know please.
5th
April
Interest continues in small r/c gliders, either DLG or
conventional.
Jon passed on this link:-
www.f3k.nl/index.php?id=3.
 3rd April
Click the 'thumb nail to see a
video of the anthithesis of what was going on at Bushfield on Sunday.
The link came from the web site of the Soo Modellers in Canada.
www.soomodellers.ca
Lots of new pages since I mentioned them last, of particular interest to
PMFC members is their indoor flying.
 1st April
Thanks to Ted for this excellent
selection of photographs and a video from the indoor session at Bushfield.
(Click the 'thumb nail' for the photos.) The get together was organised by Andy
Sephton and intended as principally a trimming session for the Indoor Scale
Nationals at Nottingham University on Sunday 13th April. (Click on that date in
the calendar that you will see if you use the Meetings/Events link on the
left.)
 30th March
Some club member
have recently shown interest in r/c DLG models.
Click the photo to see what
Dave Shipton did about it.
29th March
Don't forget the full day session at
Bushfield tomorrow
28th March
Important changes to the Indoor Scale
Nationals. For full information see the tag 'Information about Indoor Scale
Nationals' on the 13th April in the calendar at Meetings/Events in the menu on
the left.
There is now no meeting on Friday, setup only on Saturday, with
the event on Sunday but no r/c scale.
26th March
PlanesTV continue to offer excellent
trailers for their air show DVD's. Only a couple of minutes long they give an
excellent taster of the particular production.
Salute to the Phantom - four trailers here.
Cotswold Airshow 2011
 24th March
An enjoyable session at
Impington yesterday. The models shown in the exhibiton section are always
interesting and it was of these that most of the snaps were taken. Click the FW
to see the rest of the snaps and get an idea of what was on show.
It was only when I was putting this on the web site that I
noticed that the tables used were of the sort that students work on when taking
exams. It seems that the stress of exams had got to some of them and I had to
'remove' some slightly unsavoury graffiti from the tables in the snaps....
Footnote:- As always, excellent hot snacks, tea and cakes
for sale.
22nd March
Another excellent selection of front page
photographs - perhaps call this set early spring?
Thanks Mick
20th March
A strong finish to Winter indoor flying in
this area.
This coming Sunday is Impington, always worth a visit. Then the
all day session at Bushfield on 30th March and finishing with the Indoor
Nationals in Nottingham on Friday evening 11th, then Saturday and Sunday
12th/13th April.
For full details of each event click on the appropriate date in
the calendar available from the Meetings/Events link on the left.
On the scale theme don't forget tomorrow evening at Peakirk, to
quote Bernie:- "Come one, come all, We want scale models, finished and
unfinished, In progress and given-up-on. Free flight, C/L or R/C, it makes no
matter...we'll put them out on tables and have a show and tell
evening."
Click to see an easy to print schedule for Flying Aces,
31st August at Ferry Meadows.
Use the 'Meetings and
Events' calendar for 31st August to see a map.
 18th March
Click
the graphic to download another excellent "Sticks and Tissue".
16th March
Click to see a well presented graphical listing of 124 designs
from Walt Mooney, many of them Peanut Scale.
Wikipedia says "Walter E. Mooney (1926 - March 1, 1990) was a
pilot and model aircraft designer who lived in San Diego, California. He was
well known for his many plans published in the magazines Model Airplane News,
Boy's Life, and Aero Modeler in the 1960s. He was once featured as a daredevil
glider pilot on the 1973 TV series Thrill Seekers. The Aero Aces model club, of
Seattle, Washington holds a Walt Mooney Memorial model airplane meet named in
his honor. Designer of the ROHR Two-175 Experimental Aircraft almost put in
production to compete against the Cessna 172 in 1971.
Thanks to Christian Moes from Canada who passed on the plans
links. Christian has just started a web site for his home club
Soo Modellers RC Model
Aircraft Club, which is worth a look and includes a "History of
Aeromodelling in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada", written by Dr.Nino Campana
in 1997, starting in pre 2nd World War days.
14th March
The schedule for the 2014 Flying Aces is
now available - top of the page.
 12th March
Any one want to get
their teeth into this?
"The two Newton ‘sine-squared’ laws -
The frst quantitative theory of wing lift, based in Newton’s previous
theory of comparative ‘resistances’ (drags)." an article by
Philip Randolph in the February edition of R/C Soaring Digest.
Click here to download the whole magazine as a .pdf
10th Mar
Thanks to Bryan for this
link to a
flight through the Welsh valleys in a Typhoon.
The flight is what you see if you have a 'ride' in a simulator
at the Science Museum in London.
Click here for more information.
Back in the early 1950's a friend and I used to set out from the
London suburbs on the tube to South Kensington, then walk through the tunnel to
the Science Museum and up into a great world of wonder. No simulators in those
days but I still have very strong memories of being able to turn a small handle
on the display case, which raised a shutter and enabled water to flow through a
water wheel.......
 8th March
Thanks to Mick for the new set of front page photographs, this
time various PMFC members up to various things.....
6th March
It is now a couple of weeks since the last
BMFA News came out. Just in case you weren't by a computer when you read the
Mike Woodhouse piece.
Click for his link to a LEGO Rubber Motor Winder.
Mike also
mentioned his visit to the Kim Il-sung Stadium, Pyongyang, in North Korea.
Click for the PMFC web site page about
the statue on the entrance road to the stadium.
 4th March
The 'Butterfly
DLG' from Mick Page. Ian has now built one, produced some notes and suggestions
of errors to avoid.
Click the photograph for the article.
 2nd March
Small indoor r/c model from SOO
Modellers,
plus flying at -10 degrees C.
Thanks Christian, for the
information; click on 'Old Bill' for the page.
Pylon racing start added 3rd March.
 28th February
It is now a month or so since John
posted the printed version of the excellent "Winter Words", the January 2014
edition of the club magazine. Click on the picture to download a .pdf
version.
 26th February
Here are some
links from PMFC members.
Bryan says he wants to go to New Zealand. - Click
on the photograph.
Whilst Richard was sent this link for
'Real Model Pilots' which he said "may be of limited interest
to our members but interesting (and expensive) if you want one."
Then Geoff
was taken with this glider. - Could a model be an entry in the
bungee launch competition this Summer?
24th February
Excellent turnout at Bushfield on
Sunday, a big variety of models.
Click for some
snapshots to give you an idea of what was flown.
22nd February
Dont't forget indoor flying at Bushfield
tomorrow. Full details on the calendar.
Click 'Meetings/Events' in the menu
on the left. Then click on 23rd Feb for full information.
Ted passed this on having been told by John Picton
about this amazing feat of thin card engineering.
Glendale Junction, the model shop in Market Deeping.
Bernies
piece about them is now in the links section.
 20th February
Christian has
added some more information about his Heyford. Click the photograph to see.
A concern from Jon:-
It seems A2Z Corp are selling the
modelling side of their business which includes Peck Polymers and may just
close their doors if no one takes it on: I wonder if this is the time to stock
up on Peck props and nose bearings!
Click for the Hip Pocket Aeronatics piece where Jon spotted the
problem.
A quick response from Christian in Canada who passed this on,
click to see the offer.
18th February
Thanks to Mick for the latest batch of
front page photographs - looking back to the better weather from last
year.....
16th February
  A contribution from Bryan Lea to add to Mick Pages
'Photo of the month' - click on either photo for the full size version.
14th February
Don't forget Andy Sephton's talk this
evening at Peakirk.
Jon reminded me that www.jetex.org is up and running again, the excellent web site
now owned and managed by Roger Simmonds.
Roger has contributed to the PMFC web site as well as the club
magazine.
Type his name into the
PMFC Search page to
have a reminder.
12th February
Click for Micks excellent
'Photo of the Month'
Has anyone else quality photographs they would like to
contribute?
 10th February
Thanks
to Christian from Soo Modellers, Ontario, Canada, who has sent information
about his Handley Page Heyford. Click for a description, photographs
and a video of the model flying indoors.
 8th
February
Continuing with the theme of PMFC getting mentioned in
publications; club members will have read the e-mail from Brian W about the
2013 Bowden article by Alex Whittaker in the RCM&E. I have now seen the
magazine, lots of names we know and pictures of their models, including of
course Mick Taylor, who won the event. -
Click for a brief reminder of what
happened, taken from the club magazine - thanks John.
The RCM&E report had the unlikely inclusion of a photograph
of my stop watch. I can't just let that go by, especially as I had wittered on
about it on an F3K web site back in 2005.
Click should you be
curious.
7th February
Ian has said that as there does not
appear to be much on for the 7th at Peakirk, he will be bringing some kit along
and will show those interested how easy it is to make a FET timer.
6th February
LATE BOOKING - Peakirk will be available
as normal tomorrow evening.
Friday the 14th February is a flying meeting at
Oundle but Peakirk is booked as well. Those intending to go to Peakirk on the
14th might let Bernie know so he can make sure the hall is opened up - the
booking is already paid for.
 6th February
The bungee launched 36"
class mentioned on Tuesday has also had an article written about it in the
American based on-line "R C Micro World" in January 2014. The authors were Mike
Myers and Peter Michel. PMFC gets a mention for starting things off; there is
an excellent description of what goes on and a mixture of photographs from both
USA and UK.
RC Micro World can be found at
www.fullsizeplans.com
Click for the
article Peter Michel wrote for PMFC about his Zaic Trooper
This will
lead you in to a reminder of other PMFC pieces on the 36" class.
Click the
photograph for some PMFC people you will recognise...
 4th February
A touch slow with this one but Replikit
have been aquired by the
Vintage Model Co
and the original Replikit web address is no longer working.
I noticed when looking at a couple of their gliders that they
have added:- "Can be flown in the new "36" class, lightweight bungee launch
competition." Whilst others had:- "Slightly too big for the "36" class, but can
be launched by tow line or the same lightweight bungee rig."
2nd February
Thanks to Mick for the latest set of
front page photographs.
This set from the power nationals 2013
 30th Jan
I have previously mentioned "Small Flying
Aeroplanes" specialising in plans and some parts for scale models from the
early days up until the 1930's.
Click here for their web
site and on the drawing for a larger version taken from their 2013
calendar.
28th January
In case you missed Jonathans e-mail check
out the 'Improving Catapult Model Performance' information on the calendar for
this coming Friday, the 31st. - Click Meetings/Events for the calendar, then
click on Friday.
Flying models makes you extra aware of both the weather and
birds flying. The v-formation of larger birds flying a distance has been
something everyone must have seen at some time.
Click for a piece from the BBC about new research into why the
birds do this.
26th January
Another enjoayble indoor session at
Bushfield this morning.
Click for snaps of
some of the models flown.
The trial period with Localendar.com is over (click the
Meetings/Events menu item to view). There is advertsing now shown both above
and below the actual calendar. We could revert to an advertising free calendar
for $9.99 a year. Any one have any strong feelings? If so could you e-mail
'Winter Words', the latest edition of the club magazine was
posted last week; an excellent job from John. The is a lot of date information
in the mag which I have still to get onto the calendar, it will be there by the
end of the month.
24th January
Indoor flying at Bushfield on
Sunday.
Click to see what the Soo
Modellers from Canada where flying at their indoor meeting last Saturday. -
Thanks for the info Christian.
22nd January
The r/c glider class that comes closest
to free flight competition gliders is F3K, the discus launched class. Both free
flight and r/c have a certain 'physicality' in their launching and all are
concerned with recognizing thermals at low levels.
Click to see a well produced,
7 minute video of last years F3K World Championship.
20th January
Click to see the photographs
that Geoff took of some rubber powered models at Impington
meetings.
 18th January
Soo
Modellers from Canada are off to a good start with their indoor flying for
2014. Click to see their bulletin,
which includes a 1/32 scale Handley Page Heyford from Christian Moes. Also
a Google Earth photograph which shows why they don't do any outdoor
freeflight.
16th January
Thanks to Mick for a new set of front
page photographs. These from the post Christmas session at Ferry Meadows in
December.
Don't forget the talk from Ian about E20 models at Peakirk
tomorrow evening.
Click for details
of Ians Ferry 500 - See 8th January
 14th January
I occasionally mention Radio
Control Soaring Digest as one of the best on screen model flying publications.
Excellent photography, wide ranging coverage of radio control soaring and the
occasional aerodynamics article.
The last two editions have something for the theorists to get
their teeth into. December has:- "Designer Vortices, A highly conjectural
article on how a few wing shapes can minimize vortex drag. The relatively
perimeter-driven wingtip vortices of box wings, C-wings, and winglets versus
the more center-driven wingtip vortices of standard monoplane wings". Whilst
the January theoretical article has the rather less lengthy title of:- "What
happens in a stall?"
12th January
I bought the January 2014 edition of
RCM&E to read the Nigel Hawes article that features Pboro Fet Timers, PMFC
as well as Ted. Click for the link.
Only just got round to reading 'Molecular Mojo' a feature about Deluxe
Materials. I didn't realise it was a family firm started by an active modeller
and his wife. It was a general interest article but gave links to the Deluxe
Materials web site. A real fund of specific information with a quantity of
helpful downloads, well worth a visit.
www.deluxematerials.com - and -
for hints
and tips.
10th January
Click for the
videos that Russ took of some of the scale indoor models that were at Bushfield
last Sunday. The 'Show more' link will give details of the individual
videos that made up the main one, also listing models and builders. - Thanks
Russ
 8th January
The 'Ferry 500' an E20 model for next
Summers comps at
Ferry Meadows.
Ian explains the name and makes an excellent offer; he is also
giving a talk about the model at Peakirk on Friday 17th January.
 6th January
Click for some snap
shots of yesterdays enjoyable indoor flying session at Bushfield.
3rd January
Congratulation to Mark Benns for the
trophies he received at the 2013 BMFA Prizegiving.
Click for photographs
 Since Wednesday another
photograph have been added to the Shuttleworth page.
See the 1st January
1st January
Both Bryan and Geoff went to the
'Shuttleworth Open Engineering Weekend'.
Click for some photographs.
Bryan
also pointed out that if you are interested in 'Real time air traffic control
information' then the link I mentioned on 24th December is bettered by
www.flightradar24.com
Link to previous "Latest Update"
pages.
Tony Beckett -
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